A website launch checklist for agencies

Launch day is when small oversights become public. A contact form that goes nowhere, a site that still tells search engines to stay away, old URLs that now return errors: none of these are hard to fix, and all of them are easy to miss. This is the checklist we would want an agency to work through before pressing the button.

Before you start

Make sure you have access to the domain, hosting and the site’s admin, and know who will own them after launch. If the brief did not cover this, our guide to briefing a white label build shows what to settle at the start.

Content and design

1. All placeholder text and images are replaced or removed.
2. Spelling, phone numbers, addresses and opening hours are checked against what the client sent.
3. The site is checked on a phone, a tablet and a desktop, and in the main browsers.
4. Links go where they should; no link points at a staging address.

Forms and integrations

1. Every form is submitted for real and arrives in the right inbox.
2. Confirmation or thank-you messages display, and any automatic reply is sent.
3. Booking, payment, chat and CRM connections are tested end to end.

Redirects and URLs

1. If the site replaces an old one, every important old URL redirects to its new equivalent. Google explains how in its guide to 301 redirects and for site moves.
2. The custom 404 page is helpful and links back to key pages.

Search settings

1. The site is not set to discourage search engines, and no leftover staging password or noindex remains. This is the most common launch mistake.
2. Every page has a unique title and description; see Google’s notes on title links and snippets.
3. A sitemap exists and is submitted; see Google’s sitemap overview.
4. The robots file does not block anything it should not; see Google’s robots.txt introduction.

Speed and quality

1. Key pages are tested on mobile with PageSpeed Insights and the numbers are saved as a baseline.
2. Images are sized and compressed, and fonts load without layout jumps.

Analytics and tracking

1. Analytics and Search Console are connected to the live domain.
2. Conversions, such as form submissions, are being recorded.

Backups and ownership

1. A full backup exists from the moment before launch, and a restore has been tested. See WordPress’s backup guide for what to include.
2. Logins are handed to the right people, unused accounts are removed and licences are in the client’s or agency’s name.
3. The client has a short guide on how to edit the site and who to contact.

The first 48 hours

Plan to check the site again the next day: forms, search settings, errors in Search Console and anything the client reports. Agree who is on call and how quickly changes will be made. After that, a care plan with a clear scope covers ongoing maintenance, and for stores our Shopify handoff checklist adds the store-specific items.

A launch sign-off table

How we launch

We build WordPress and custom-coded Shopify sites under your brand, let you review the build before your client does and close our access at launch where the client owns the account. See how we work, white label WordPress development and white label Shopify development, or talk to us about your next launch.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

How to brief a white label web build (a template)A Shopify Liquid theme handoff checklist for agenciesWhat a WordPress care plan should include (and what it should not)